


Architectural Innovation

by PrairieDawn



Series: The Importance of Choosing the Right Pediatrician [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Baby Spock, F/M, God the infodumping, Infodumping, Metastatic Headcanon (TM), This whole piece is an excuse for shameless infodumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 08:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrairieDawn/pseuds/PrairieDawn
Summary: Sarek and Amanda bring baby Spock to visit Healer T'Zir and determine whether he has any chance to develop normally.





	Architectural Innovation

Sarek was nervous. He didn’t show it outwardly, of course, but the fact that he had brought work with him to Spock’s appointment, probably to busy his hands and mind, was one indication. The fact that he had spent fifteen minutes longer than usual in meditation that morning was another. The fact that he kept checking on Spock, who was still sleeping and had been since they had started the short trip to the alien district, was a third.

A human male, quite young--Amanda thought no more than sixteen, guided them to their room this time. He was tall and slender, blue eyed and very blonde, with a demeanor that reminded her so much of Dr. Schoenbein that Amanda had to wonder if they were related. Once they were settled, the boy said, “Healer T’Zir will be with you shortly. There is no need to remove Spock’s clothing for this visit.” He paused. “It is possible that some level of mind touch will need to be performed with one or both of you as well, for comparison purposes. She suggests you use this time to meditate.”

He turned to Amanda with a slightly apologetic smile. “Does this concern you?”

“Sarek and I are bonded. It wouldn’t be my first time, by a long shot.”

The poor kid favored her with a “how could I be that stupid” look, quickly quashed. “Of course, Ms. Grayson.”

They were left alone for a few moments, Sarek obediently attempting to meditate, Amanda attempting to at least simulate meditation. She had taken up the practice, in a simplified sense, at home, but squished into an exam room with Sarek and the baby, expecting to be interrupted at any time was not exactly ideal circumstances.

T’Zir opened the sliding door to the alcove, but waited outside.

“Enter,” Sarek said.

She entered the room. “I have a student today. Is he welcome?”

“Of course,” Amanda said. A twinge of anxiety struck her through their bond. She turned to Sarek, realizing only then that she should have asked him before agreeing. They were going to need to discuss this matter further. No matter what developmental challenges Spock might face, they would pale beside the challenge of a father who was ashamed of him.

The blonde boy stepped just inside the door. Sarek’s double take was sharp enough to reach his face. “Perhaps I should not,” the boy said.

“Thomas, you are needed here,” T’Zin said. She was much younger than Amanda had expected, though age could be difficult to determine in Vulcans. The picture she had of Healers had always been of wizened, gray haired people on the far side of a hundred and fifty years old. “Sarek,” she said.

“Healer,” he replied.

“This one seeks knowledge of the healing arts, and has aptitude. His ancestry is insufficient reason to discourage him, would you not agree?”

Sarek blinked, nonplussed. Amanda liked the fact that she could render him speechless, but began to worry that he would insist on finding yet another Healer, someone a little less challenging, perhaps.

“You may introduce yourself,” T’Zin told the boy. It would be customary for him to remain silent in this context until permitted to speak. “My name is Thomas Schoenbein. I go to the embassy school here.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but held his silence, capturing his bottom lip between his teeth.

“I would examine the child first,” T’Zin said. “He is 92 days of age, correct?”

“Yes,” Sarek replied.

Amanda took Spock out of his carrier and jiggled him awake. He stretched and yawned, then busied himself looking about the novel room. She passed him to T’Zin, who picked up an orange puff and moved it slowly in front of him. He followed it, then grabbed for it. She allowed him to stuff it in his mouth.

“Is his digestion improved?”

“Yes, very much so,” Amanda replied. Spock’s eyes flicked back and forth, following the speakers.

“Spock,” T’Zin said, firmly. He alerted to his name, looked at her for a moment, then away. She moved his arms and legs, checked his reflexes on his hands and bare feet. “I would examine how the neural tracts are maturing,” she said to both of them. “With your consent.” She turned to Amanda. “I will cause him no distress. Infants this young have little sense of themselves as separate entities. It will be merely one new experience among many.”

Amanda nodded understanding. 

“Verbal consent would be preferred,” T’Zin clarified.

“Oh, of course, go ahead,” Amanda said.  
She swept her fingers across the baby’s forehead and cheekbones first, dodging his attempt to capture her hand, presumably to gnaw on it, then settled on cupping his whole head between her hands. Sarek sat stiffly, almost visibly willing the probe to go well. She pressed her fingers to his under a fold of his robe.

Almost two full minutes passed before the silence was broken by a squeaky giggle. T’Zir straightened. “An amusing experience, apparently.” She took a composing breath. “Thomas, could you describe for Amanda the critical differences between the large scale neural structure of human and Vulcan brains? “

Thomas startled, but caught himself. “Well. Vulcans process in parallel, with mostly linear preprogrammed pathways that intersect in rigid, gridlike patterns. As a result, they calculate more efficiently and can organize more information than humans, but the neural network can be brittle, such that damage to one region may produce cascading failures across many systems. In contrast, human brains construct associational networks, which increase redundancy and the capacity for lateral thinking at the expense of speed and certainty. Both structural patterns have their merits.”

T’ Zir waited until the boy paused to take a breath, then cut in. “Correct, Thomas. Spock’s brain is attempting to merge both systems. If he is able to do so successfully, he will have a remarkable mind. If not, he may struggle. My colleagues would suggest attempting to suppress the associational networks in favor of the parallel processing system, but I believe the best outcome may be achieved by assisting his attempts to build a functional intermediate architecture, not least because the redundancy will provide opportunities to better calibrate his sensory tracts.”

“He is still not projecting. Will he be mind-blind?” Sarek asked.

“That is extremely unlikely. While Vulcan psi centers are absent completely from Spock’s brain,” she said, and Amanda could feel Sarek tense, “his antenna complex is functional and has already been triggered, as Dr. Schoenbein and I had hoped, by the contact you have already initiated. Thomas?”

Thomas recited, “Humans are not intrinsically lacking in psi ability, we are latent, blocked by a neural shunt mechanism. The antenna complex is a loosely organized structure consisting of astrocytes at the cortical surface which transmit telepathic signal via small molecules to specialized neurons in the frontal lobe, which in most humans suppress the data acquired. Sufficient telepathic contact before the age of two will convert the shunt to a processing network, leading to synesthetic processing of telepathic data in the visual, auditory, and vestibular systems.”

“And the consequences for a hybrid infant,” T’Zin prompted.  
“Right. Dad’s, I mean Dr. Schoenbein’s instructions to Sarek were partly intended to draw Spock out of latency, which has occurred?”

T’Zir nodded confirmation. Thomas continued. “Spock will be able to project, almost certainly by 200 days of age, but since he is a hybrid it is impossible to be certain when. He will likely have slightly shorter range than a Vulcan of the same field strength, but significantly higher bandwidth.” Thomas dared a smile. “He’ll be able to bespeak rocks and software if he chooses.”

“Whimsical, but essentially accurate,” T’Zin said. “This structural difference would, incidentally, suit him especially well for the expeditionary service and first contact, as he is also almost certainly immune to Pa’nar syndrome.” She glanced down. “Fingers are not for biting.” She worked her index finger free of Spock’s baby death grip.

Sarek seemed unconvinced. “Humans have no aptitude for the mind sciences,” he argued. “They are naturally psi-null.”

Thomas waited for a pause, then corrected Sarek. Which, Amanda felt, took some chutzpah. “We are naturally genocidal. We used DNA fingerprinting and Penrose field detectors to successfully identify and exterminate our esper population during and immediately following the Eugenics Wars. Rare new cases emerge by point mutation, but unfortunately, very few strongly affected children are diagnosed before the onset of severe disability, and even fewer receive effective treatment.” Thomas returned to chewing his bottom lip, and added an embarrassed blush, quite visible on his fair skin.

Amanda felt it was time to take everyone back a step. “So, about organizing his sensory tracts?”

T’Zin turned back toward her. “I will send you home with exercises to perform with him and see him again in sixty days to assess his progress. Please report any unusual responses to lighting, textures, or noises at that time. If he becomes ill in the meantime, please make an appointment with Dr. Schoenbein, he is our infectious disease specialist. Thomas, escort Amanda and Spock to the vestibule. I wish to confer briefly with Sarek.”

Amanda tucked Spock back into his carrier and followed Thomas to the door. He stopped her. “Wait. You should know. My father and I have received threats over the years and have been the targets of vandalism and other small crimes. Be careful.”

“So have we, Thomas. Change comes slowly to a long lived people. Sarek himself struggles with loyalty to his clan and his, let’s just call it regard, shall we? For Spock and me. We just have to be patient.”

She sat down on a low stone ledge just outside the building and gestured for him to join her. “If you’re not too busy.”  
He sat.

“So, what are your plans then, young man? Will you stay here or return to Earth, do you think?”

He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands in front of them. “Oh, I’m going back to Earth. There’s no way Gol will accept me for Healer’s training, so I’ll learn all I can from T’Zir, for as long as she’ll have me, then I plan to apply to medical school Earthside, probably in the Twin Cities.”

“You’ll have to learn to bundle up,” she teased.

He stifled a laugh. They were in public on Vulcan after all. “Dad and I have relatives in Ontario. I’m hoping to start a practice up there, maybe work with a local college. Most people can’t uproot their whole lives and move to Vulcan, even to save their kid’s life. We’ve got to have better options.”

Amanda allowed herself a chuckle. “You sound like me at fifteen. Determined to change the world.”

“Mission accomplished, then.”

“We’ll see about that. Well, you ever want to hang around with other humans, eat human food, play with the baby, you’re welcome.”

“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

T’Zir escorted Sarek to the door. They exchanged their farewells out of earshot, then Sarek approached Amanda and Thomas. “Are we ready to return home?” he said, even more stiffly than usual.

“Of course,” Amanda said, collecting the baby. “I hope to see you again soon, Thomas.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Thomas said, suddenly shy.

Sarek swept ahead of them. Amanda had to jog to catch up. “Sarek, is something wrong?” she asked.

“T’Zin requires me to meditate upon certain matters of a personal nature. I will discuss them at a more appropriate time,” he said.

She knew better than to press him.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you care, and you probably don't, the small molecule (NO) signalling between cortical astrocytes does occur and appears to affect the firing patterns of neurons. When last I checked, we had no idea what that signalling system actually does in the real world. So I stole it.


End file.
